Thousands stroll on Seattle's waterfront viaduct

View full sizeJoshua Trujillo/The Associated PressMembers of the Rat City Rollergirls flat-track roller derby league skate on the upper deck of the closed Alaskan Way Viaduct on Saturday in downtown Seattle. They were winners of a contest in which organizations made pitches about what they would do on the deck of the closed highway for half an hour. The highway usually carries 110,000 cars a day and will be closed for nine days as demolition of the southern half of the aging structure begins. The highway, built in the 1950s, will be replaced with a new deep bore tunnel along the Seattle waterfront.

For a few hours, the nine-day closure of Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct proved to be a bit of gawking and sentimental fun.

About 3,200 people strolled on the elevated highway Saturday, the first full day of the nine-day closure, said KaDeena Yerkan of the state Department of Transportation

The people walked the highway as crews continue demolishing the southern end of the aging and earthquake-vulnerable elevated road that runs along the waterfront. Yerkan said crews have demolished about a couple of hundred yards of concrete and metal as of Saturday afternoon.

But local residents took advantage of the public opening, some making the occasion a sentimental one. One person hung a sign thanking the old highway for its service. Another woman collected one of the lane dividers. A couple of men tossed a Frisbee while many others took pictures of the old highway, The Seattle Times reported.

A roller derby team and a motorcycle stunt team also had free range of the highway for 30 minutes after winning a contest.

View full sizeEllen Banner/The Associated PressThe public walks on the top deck of the Alaskan Way Viaduct near the stadiums in Seattle Saturday morning in the rain. They were able to to watch as crews demolished a section of the viaduct and also enjoy great views of the city from the structure that helped shape Seattle's waterfront. Attendees were also able to take home a commemorative piece of the viaduct.

Gov. Chris Gregoire and other lawmakers also were present to commemorate the start of the demolition.

Transit officials have mailed people free bus tickets and added ferry trips across Elliott Bay. Still, there's no shortage of fretting about where the 110,000 vehicles that take State Route 99 over the viaduct on a typical weekday will go.

Traffic was heavy around the viaduct Saturday as people took the walk and others headed to CenturyLink Field for a college football game.